Research/Report
Author(s): Alisa Belzer, Professor, Rutgers University; Sandra Schamroth Abrams, Research Fellow, University of South Africa, Visiting Professor, University of Sheffield
A clear relationship between reading practice and reading achievement has been established for young developing readers. Yet, little is known about what adult developing readers participating in adult basic education programs understand and do to improve their reading outside of class. Given that they often have relatively little time in class to practice reading, addressing this question is particularly important to support reading skill development. This case study of three adult learners’ interactions with text outside of class indicates that their motivation and capacity to practice reading is influenced not only by demographic characteristics such as age, gender, occupation, and educational level, but also by their adult roles, their beliefs about how to improve their reading skills, and the role of literacy “sponsors.” This cross-case analysis points to the importance of teachers explicitly and strategically encouraging and supporting out-of-class reading for adult literacy learners.